The mont Jade finished her threat, she tried her best to maintain a stern face.
And a brief silence descended upon the room.
But seconds later, both of their expressions cracked, and soft chuckles escaped their lips before bubbling into full-blown laughter.
Once they finally cald down, Aliana threw her arms around Jade, and Jade wrapped her arms tightly back around her.
"I’m so glad you are okay," Aliana murmured gratefully into the embrace. "I didn’t know what I would do if sothing had happened to you, J."
"Yeah, yeah, I love you too. But you’re forgetting that I’m tough." They pulled back, and Jade flashed her a bright, confident smile. "I might be a little shaken up by all of this, but it will take much more than a ghost to break this friend of yours."
"I would never want that," Aliana replied softly.
Jade laughed at Aliana’s overly serious expression and waved her hand dismissively.
"You really need to relax a little. You are far too tense, and let’s not forget you have a million things to do. Your engagent is right around the corner. What is it, like... how many days away now?"
"Two days," Aliana replied with a helpless sigh.
"Oh, then there is absolutely no ti to waste! I need to find a dress for myself," Jade declared excitedly.
She stopped, clearing her throat as she scratched her cheek lightly in embarrassnt. Her tone softened into a murmur. "Though, I guess I also need to properly et your husband-to-be. I’m assuming my first impression.... you know, being literally possessed by a spirit didn’t exactly work in my favour?"
Aliana couldn’t help but chuckle. "Don’t worry, J. Like I said, none of this surprised him. He’s just like , rember? I’d love to introduce you two properly. How about we do it during lunch?"
Just then, a knock interrupted them, and all the excitent vanished from Jade’s face the exact second she saw an incredibly intrusive man pop his head through the doorway.
He kept his eyes squeezed tightly shut as he called out, "Everyone decent inside?"
Jade rolled her eyes hard. "Why stick your head into the room before checking if we are in a presentable state?"
It was then that Cillian opened his eyes, flashing her his annoyingly charming grin. "Well, the last ti I stepped inside to check on you like the good man that I am, you told to try being a gentleman. I thought I’d try it your way this ti."
"I told you that because you are not a man but a demon for walking into a lady’s room when she was in the middle of changing!" Jade blushed, keeping a fierce glare fixed on him.
Aliana, who had no idea this little incident had even occurred, raised her eyebrows. She quietly studied the two of them, highly amused by how they managed to clash like children at every possible opportunity.
She didn’t quite understand the dynamic between them yet, but she was not the least bit interested in inserting herself whenever they locked horns like two stubborn bulls.
Cillian, on the other hand, looked far more amused by Jade’s remark and stepped forward with all the confidence of a man who had never once doubted himself in his entire life. His wicked grin widened as he replied, "Well, that part may be true. I am a demon, after all... just the nicer one."
He gave her a playful wink, causing Jade’s eye to twitch at his ridiculous claim.
anwhile, a strong sense of déjà vu washed over Aliana because not too long ago, Gavriel had also proudly claid to be a devil.
’Their personalities couldn’t be more different, yet both of them seem weirdly dedicated to convincing people they’re creatures of the underworld,’ she mused. ’Maybe they rubbed off on each other,’ she added as a ntal note.
Jade crossed her arms and sighed. "So why are you even in here, demon? Did you finally get tired of staring at yourself in the mirror?"
"Actually, the mirror couldn’t withstand the intensity of this majestic being, so it shattered. I thought I’d co and use the one in your room instead." Cillian replied with a completely straight face, earning a thoroughly blank stare from both Aliana and Jade.
Looking at the two won, Cillian let out a light chuckle. "I was simply sent here to check if you two ladies are ready for lunch."
Aliana was surprised that Cillian had made the effort to co all this way himself rather than leaving it to the butler. She couldn’t help but ask, "Oh, where is Winston?"
"He is just dealing with so work Gavriel gave him. Hence, I ca." Cillian gave her a bright smile as he replied, before turning his gaze back to Jade to offer her another devious smirk, only for Jade to narrow her eyes at him.
Aliana only chose to ignore the two silent staring contests and could only hope that Jade would not end up strangling him one of these days.
Later, lunch had been every bit as chaotic as expected.
Jade introduced herself without missing a beat. "Hi, I’m Jade Ross, Aliana’s childhood friend. Let’s hope you take exceptionally good care of her, or else I know exactly how to chop soone’s balls off and feed them to my dogs. Nice to et you."
She gave Gavriel such a pleasant yet unsettling smile that he rely raised an eyebrow at her in amusent.
anwhile, Cillian, Nigel, and Winston nearly choked on their saliva upon hearing Jade casually deliver such a threat to a man like Gavriel. Aliana, on the other hand, had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from cracking up, knowing this was exactly how Jade was... protective, blunt, and completely unapologetic.
After that, Cillian spent the entire al effortlessly getting under Jade’s skin, while Gavriel remained completely unbothered by the spectacle. He had far more important matters occupying his attention, naly finding creative ways to tease Aliana beneath the table whenever no one was looking.
Winston stood like a silent ghost in the corner, while Nigel found himself awkwardly sandwiched between the two heavy undercurrents flowing through the dining hall.
One side of the table was undeniably sizzling with the intense chemistry of the future newlyweds, while the other was a complete warzone.
That vibrant, chaotic atmosphere maintained its grip on the Valentine Residence until the grand day finally arrived.
The past forty-eight hours had vanished in a blur of frantic planners, custom fabrics, and sleepless, unbearable nights.
True to his word, Gavriel had appeared without fail each night to collect his toll, leaving Aliana slowly yet surely surrendering to the devastating temptation of his touch.
Now, standing in front of the grand, floor-length mirror in her dressing room, Aliana stared at her reflection.
She was adorned in a breathtaking red engagent gown, woven specifically for her according to the highly precise instructions of her husband-to-be.
Today was the engagent day. The night was about to begin, but nobody in the grand estate knew the unexpected dangers the darkness had to offer.
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